I’m a tea person. I’ve never liked coffee (although I like the aroma) and since giving up squash and fruit juice, I now only drink water, green juice and tea. You can imagine which one of these I enjoy the most.

The narrowing down of my beverage options has motivated me to look into improving my daily tea experience. I’ve long been aware that tea-bags contain little more than the sweepings from the factory floor, but now I’m finally investigating loose leaf tea for the first time.

Just before Christmas my sister bought me a lovely little tea pot with a built-in infuser and so I needed something to put in it. I bought a cannister of Gold Leaf Tea from M&S thinking this would be a good start. Sadly, it’s very powdery and is very strong, so I decided to look online. I searched for organic teas (considering I’m trying to go in that direction with my food) and came across TeaLyra.

After suffering from duodenal ulcers about ten years ago, I was advised to avoid black tea early in the day, so I drink at lot of Rooibos (or Red Bush) tea from South Africa. It is caffeine-free and is said to contain a number of minerals and is a high source of calcium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium and zinc I don’t think it tastes as good as black tea but I can drink it with half a sugar and no milk. Unfortunately I can’t abide herbal or fruit teas.

I ordered some Organic Rooibos Pure from the website as well as a small amount of Organic Orange Pekeo Ceylon. I wanted a “proper” tea to have around 4.30pm (tea-time!) and really liked the softness of the Ceylon tea-bags a work colleague brought me back from Sri Lanka. It turns out Orange Pekeo doesn’t mean it has an orange flavour but that the young leaves are picked when the tips first open. Not unlike perfume, tea is a whole world of its own with its accompanying jargon, varieties and of course, connoisseurs.

Obviously I have a lot to learn, so tell me…

Do you have a love of loose leaf tea? What are your favourite varieties and where do you purchase them from? Have you tried any of the teas by Aftelier Perfumes? What equipment do you use and do you drink it from china or glass?

81 responses to “Fancy A Cuppa?”

As I’m trying to re enter orbit (or Perfumeland) what more appropriate way to do that, than by commenting on a tea post 🙂
I mostly do leaf tea. I believe fancy tea bags only arrived pretty recently here, which means that during my childhood and youth for anything better than ‘medova’ you’d have to buy leaf tea.
We have the most wonderful old fashioned tea shop here called Perchs, they also happen to have knowledge and copenhagen s best tea, but for brand tea of a high standard you can get anywhere, I really enjoy Kusmi tea, especially the Irish blend for black tea without added flavour.
For a good old builders brew the fancy way, you can get Kenya cut tea. Yummy.

Lovely to have you back, Asali.
How interesting that when you were growing up, tea bags weren’t that common. I had no idea.
Oh I bet a visit to Perchs would be lovely. Loose leaf tea smells so great too.
I haven’t come across Kusmi tea so thanks for the tip and I’ll look out for Kenya cut tea too.

I wonder if you and me, we’ve ever talked about tea… I’m a tea drinker – and always loose leafs. My husband only drinks black tea, so we always keep 5-6 sorts at home, but I have some green, roiboos and herbal varieties as well (lots of plants used in perfumery make a lovely brew : lavender, rose, sage, peppermint, etc). My favorites are oolong teas and teas from Yunnan – drunk from a china bowl, with a drop of milk (or even cream sometimes 😉)
Now I know what I bring you when meeting the next time, T. ❤️!

No I don’t think we have! Mainly food, perfume and chocolate 🙂
I’ve seen oolang and Yunnan teas but never tried them. Are they white teas?
I love the sound of Mandy’s tea. Cardamom and orange are two favourite flavours of mine. I shall investigate further and look forward to the next time we meet!

Hey Tara! I am not really a tea drinker although I do love a proper spiced chai which I make myself when I can be bothered. Fresh ginger, star anise, cardamom, black pepper, black tea …… boiled up with or without milk and sugar if desired. My grandmother was a total black tea addict. She brewed her own from loose leaf but used tea bags too. Contrary to what others say, she always told me that you could get really high quality tea in the tea bags, as they use what’s leftover from the high quality loose leaf to fill the tea bags ……. if I fancy a cuppa I am quite happy with a PG tea bag, which incidentally had aided my flu recovery lately as coffee just doesn’t cut it when sick like a cuppa ……. xxx

Hey CQ!
We know that tea is the traditional British cure-all 🙂
I think I’ll continue to use tea bags too, for quickness. So far I haven’t noticed a massive difference but the loose leaf does seem to be more rounded (less of a bitter edge) which is good for my stomach.
Pleased you’re finally recovered. Now you can get back to your coffee fix xxx

I wish Iiked green tea as it seems to be the healthiest.
Drinking out of glass cups seems to be the fashion but I’m not sure it makes that much difference either.
I’ll look up Harney & Sons – thanks for the tip.

Hi Tara! I have always been a tea drinker and only loose leaf. Green and white Chinese teas (young Dragonwell tea in particular) are my preference, but I also enjoy Japanese green teas. If you can find a white darjeeling tea give it a try, it is smooth and light. I purchase my teas from Mariage Freres or from Tenren online. Once I bought a tea kettle with a temperature gage, it made all the difference in the taste of the teas. I was overheating the green teas which made it bitter. Have fun discovering your favorites. Sandra xoxo

Oh yes, I remember now that you’re tea connoisseur Sandra. Thanks for recommending the white darjeeling as I was wondering about white tea.
Tenren is another retailer to add to the list and I’ve never heard of a tea kettle with a temperature gauge – brilliant!

I am a diehard bag user here – on the ‘life’s too short to infuse a loose leaf’ mushroom-stuffing principle. That said, I can appreciate a cup of loose tea, though I find it can go bitter after it has infused for a relatively short while ie it is quite hard to control the strength / brewing in my limited experience. The top coffee shop in Stafford only does loose tea and I have to whip out the infuser in the centre of the pot sharpish to avoid a stewed taste. Then I have noticed the finer (as in longer) tea strands creeping into those premium bags in mesh pyramids or pillows – in more silky fabrics than normal tea bags. More abroad than in the UK, but it is a trend for sure.

I am aware that I may just need more practice and that the best tea without question is loose. I suppose I accept the taste of bag tea as ‘a thing’ – the way people enjoy Cadbury’s chocolate while agreeing that 70% cocoa is the real deal, or Heinz Tomato soup, which is nothing like soup you would make. I have tried Rooibos but it has a weird vanillic? taste and I have never been able to take to it. Maybe I miss the caffeine? Then I recently inherited a consignment of M & S Luxury Gold tea bags and they also tasted strangely vanillic, but not in a good way, and were rehomed with my elderly friend – a Typhoo loyalist, so that may not go well! Meanwhile, I got one of these little men for Christmas, as a nudge from a friend, so never say never to loose tea…;)

I’ll continue to use tea bags for times I can’t be doing with waiting around, even if it only a couple of minutes. Sometimes you’re just not in the mood. When I am though, it feels quite nice to go through the ritual of it.
I can’t bear Rooibos that is blended with vanilla. I use the Tick Tock Rooibos tea bags and they’re the best I’ve found. I wonder if your elderly friend will be converted to M&S Gold.
I may have issues because I’m not sure how I feel about infusing Mr Tea Man’s nether regions in my cuppa 🙂

Tara,
There is a cupboard full of beautiful teas from around the world here but I rarely get creative and go straight for the Australian Afternoon Tea from Twinings.
Yes, Philistine.
I’ll make you up a pack.
Portia xx

The moment I knew I had gone native was when I realised I’d mastered the art of Making-Cups-Of-Tea-And-Forgetting-About-Them. As you know, I have a migraine problem, and unfortunately for me, caffeine is a major trigger. I can tolerate it in small amounts but I try to keep caffeine levels as low as possible in everyday existence. I adore coffee (sigh) and even decaf has some caffeine, so I leave coffee drinking for days when I feel I can take a risk (I’ll occasionally have those Starbucks milky things from the fridge – the Caramel Macchiato cup, which doesn’t really have much coffee in it and is more of a dairy-based coffee flavour drink).

I’ve gone through dozens and dozens of tea varieties in my quest to find nice drinks to replace my love of coffee. And gradually I have come to love some of them. My favourite is Taylor’s Green Tea with Grapefruit and Lime and I also quite like their strawberry variety. I also like Jackson’s teabags. For normal tea, I like Twinings decaf English Breakfast.

I’ve also found that Waitrose own herbal teas are actually really nice. I used to drink a cup of peppermint tea every morning but ironically it ended up causing acid reflux because peppermint weakens the oesophagus over time, so now I only have peppermint tea occasionally.

Can’t seem to get used to the taste of Rooibos but will persevere. I think if I end up getting used to it, it would be ideal.

For loose leaf, I love the teas they serve at the Wolseley and keep meaning to buy some. I bring back Finnish loose leaf Moomin tea (yes, such a thing exists!) and that’s currently the only thing for which I will go to the trouble of taking out my tea strainer pot (I have one of those glass pots with a strainer included that makes about two cups – perfect).

Oooh I did enjoy this comment, nukapai. You have definitely turned native 🙂
Yes, I do hear coffee is a migraine trigger and I’m so sorry you have to mostly deprive yourself of something you love. If you give Rooibois tea bags another try, I’d recommend the Tick Tock brand without milk. You do get used to the taste eventually.
You mentioning the Wolseley teas has reminded me that the nicest cuppa I’ve had is Cloud Tea at Claridges. I should seek it out.
Finnish Moomin tea sounds AWESOME.

I can’t live without rooibos. For me it is only a night time thing though as it is SO relaxing (I won’t give it Duncan while we are watching a film, for example, because he is guaranteed to fall asleep within minutes. How can you possibly start the day with it?!). I usually add some nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon to it as the warm, balsamic aspect of rooibos suits it perfectly.

For black teas, there is nothing more perfumey and decadent than Mariage Freres (there’s one in Selfridges): Marco Polo, YUM. You ought to go and check them out – just the smell of the store is enough to put me in a good mood.

Now I know why I can’t stop yawning in the morning! I had no idea it was soporific. Adding some spice sounds like a great idea to me.
I really want to visit the Mariage Freres store in Selfridges. I think Thomas likes the rose tea from there and I adore the aroma of tea leaves.

Oh it’s a real treat for the senses. It would make a lovely post actually for A Bottled Rose.

And yes: you are essentially drinking nature’s Valium for breakfast. Much more suitable for nighttime! As I tap this in bed I have a big steaming pot of rooibos with nutmeg and a touch of ginger. Perfect for these freezing nights.

Thanks, Neil. I’ll have to write it up when we go then. That will be fun.
I’ll need to find a replacement for my morning brew now you’ve enlightened me. Maybe one of these white teas people have recommended.
What a perfect nightcap you’ve made for a winter’s night!

Just one more thing: you and I both love cardamom, and me and the D never drink tea without it. Ceylon teabag ( I can’t bear this malty Typhoo business) and a fair few sprinkles of ( preferably organic) ground cardamom powder and you have pure brisk deliciousness, milk or no milk. Cardamom is very engaging and energizing. The essential oil is also divine in the bath: SO good for the physiognomy and the spirits. You should seek it out.

Thanks for the recommendations, Neil. I know I have some cardamom essential oil at home so I will dig it out and use it in the bath. Lovely!
Will also go to the organic store for the cardamom powder and try it in tea. Maybe then I can kick the sugar. I’ll have to do a follow-up post at some point because of all these great tips.

It’s interesting what a big response this post has had. I suppose perfume people are epicureans in general and just love anything that stimulates the senses: tea is such a beautiful thing – here in Japan people drink cold tea in plastic bottles from vending machines: hideous I hear you cry but there is nothing like a bottle of iced jasmine tea on a hot day. I ADORE jasmine tea although the best floral tea I have had was lotus, from Vietnam last year. SO gorgeous.

I love that perfume people are such epicureans. It did amaze me how many people commented. I really wasn’t sure about doing a tea post.
A bottle of iced jasmine tea in the heat sounds perfectly sensible to me and lotus tea must be luxury itself.
I tried some vanilla extract in the Ceylon Orange Pekeo last night and it was lovely.

I used to drink loose leaf tea, but I think I lost the little netting ball during a cross country move (and also got much lazier). I have been quite pleasantly surprised by some tea bags, especially Mighty Leaf teas. The Green Tea Tropical is lovely, and that’s coming from someone that doesn’t usually drink much green tea (often get a lot of dried bitter grassy notes that aren’t my thing) or fruity teas.

I’m going to see if I can find a netting ball as it would save using the pot every time. Thanks, Nemo.
Green teas are so healthy, it’s great that you’ve found one that works for you. I’ll bear it in mind Might Leaf teas.

I love Fortnum and Mason tea especially their Rose Pouchong which is fabulous and Lapsang Souchong. We have a special tea shop here, Simon Levelt which sells a marvelous collection of tea. I must admit I am a bit lazy from time to time to use loose tea so I tend to use tea bags for herbal tea. At the moment from Pukka. Rooibos has never been a tea I liked, I prefer black tea. It might be a good idea to retry different kinds. I did not know they were so healthy. During summer I love to drink fresh mint tea from the garden from different kinds of mint. Really love to drink tea from dried orange blossom with some honey but this is not easy to get here. Xxx

It took me a while to get accustomed to rooibos and I probably wouldn’t have persevered if I didn’t have to. I do enjoy it now though.
How wonderful that you make your own mint tea from the leaves in your garden.
I found Lapsang Souchong too strong when I tried it but I’ve seen there are lighter smoky teas out there which I’ll try out because I adore the aroma.

I love the aroma of Lapsang as well and can imagine it smelling too strong for you, you could always mix it with other tea like earl grey to make it less strong if you use loose leaves. It would be a good idea to drink more rooibos 🙂

i love the sound of this new ritual. a whole new world to explore and learn about. Im not a big tea drinker but like to visit tea shops. one that has stayed in my mind is a great place i visited in victoria, Australia which specialises is tea leaves from the bush. the place smelt very earthy yet sweet and was covered wall to wall with hundreds of jars of different tea. the shop itself was enchanting and was situated by the forest. like being in a book shop time stood still. Being a yogi i was drawn to the yoga tea (5 varieties). however i bought summer bush tea because of its smell. it made a great cold drink as well as hot. i drank it with ice with my friend in her garden in melbourne which backs onto the bush. delightful ！

Davina!!! So lovely to have you here.
I LOVED hearing about the quirky tea shop by the forest selling bush teas. I think you did right in leading with your nose as to your choice of tea. It’s so much about aroma.
What a gorgeous picture you paint of drinking the tea iced with your friend just feet away from the bush itself. Pure perfection and a precious memory.

I love drinking properly brewed tea but since I cannot have caffeinated beverages after 6 P.M., I get to drink black or green tea only on weekends. I cannot recommend my favorites there because two that I love got discontinued; I’m finishing what I’ve got – and then will be looking for the substitutes.

In the office during the day I usually drink coffee or tea from tea bags. And in the evening my drink of choice is herbal tea. I never drink decaffeinated tea, only naturally caffeine-free. My favorite herbal teas come in fancy pouches (e.g., Chamomile Citrus). Currently I’m buying them in bulk (100 packages) but I think of switching to loose leaf version: I can either brew it in a tea pot, or make my own pouches when I want just one cup (I use disposable infusers) – it makes it much more economical but doesn’t require too many efforts. Other favorites from this brand are: African Nectar, Green Tea Tropical and White Orchard.

Thanks for the link to the disposable infusers. I need ways to make it quick and easy, especially as I make just one cup at a time. How cool that you make your own pouches. I’m going to look into the netting balls mentioned above. I guess there must be lots of options out there. It’s been so helpful hearing from everyone.
I’m sorry your favourite teas got discontinued. I hope you find substitutes you like just as much, if not more.

I have never been a tea drinker. Perhaps the odd green or mint tea here and there over the years–but probably only averaging out to about once a quarter–has been the limit. Maybe a pot of lapsang twice a decade. I have unreasonable prejudices against herbal teas. So, tea has been a rare event. The standard nice cup of tea leaves me cold. I just can’t see the point of it. I’m missing the English tea gene.

But… I have started trying to acquire a taste for it. I limit coffee to the mornings only, and, now I’ve ditched the terrible fizzy drink habit, like you I need an alternative to just water. I bought myself a gorgeous little Zero pot, and have been working through carefully chosen samples from the fancy tea shop that is next to my favourite coffee shop in Edinburgh (Artisan–they have fantastic coffee).

Some of these new teas are… mmeh. Brown water. No, still not getting the point of tea. And then there have been a couple that have stopped me in my tracks. As interesting and pleasurable as some of the best perfumes. (OK, the price of one of these also stopped me in my tracks, but I’m starting to think it might be worth it…)

Crikey, you left me with a cliffhanger wondering which teas stopped you in your tracks! That is quite an achievement considering you don’t get the comforting feeling most of us get from a brew. It’s great that you’ve cut out the fizzy drinks and are persevering with different teas.
If you have time please let me know the names of those two shops and I’ll pay a visit with my coffee loving pal Davina next time I stay with her in Edinburgh.

Ha! Sorry to leave you hanging like that. The coffee place is Artisan on Broughton Street, and the tea place is on the same street but just downhill: Rosevear Tea. Their Jasmine tea is pretty special, but the one that really got me was an unusual white tea: Fragrant Volcano. (But at £19 for 50g–yes, really–that won’t be a daily brew!)

Giving up the fizzies was well over due. So far, it’s been easier than I thought–and that’s been six weeks now. Coffee, however, is too much of a pleasure to give up.

You’ve encouraged me to keep trying with white tea. I had it for the first time today and wasn’t too keen but after Neil said rooibos is like taking Valium first thing, I need to find an alternative.
Coffee seems so pleasurable I don’t blame you!

Love tea, can’t drink coffee as the acidity bothers my stomach. It’s interesting you said you can’t drink black tea in the morning – that is the only time of day my stomach can tolerate it. I love a good black assam for breakfast, then it’s rooibos or Yorkshire decaf for the rest of the day. Normally I drink Kusmi loose leaf but if I’m lazy I’ll use a F&M tea bag.
Just a splash of milk, never with sugar. Don’t what I would do without my cuppa, I dislike fizzy drinks.

Hi Tara C.
I just took the advuce I was given but we are all different. Maybe I’d be fine with black tea first thing. If I can’t adjust to white tea I may go back to it.
That’s the second mention of Kusni tea so will definitely order some of that. Thanks!

Hi Tara,
Thanks for the good chat. So interesting reading everyone’s comments, I too have struggled with migraines and now limit my tea intake . I think the issues of how your nose copes with the scent of the tea is almost as important as the taste. I’ve been drinking hot water with fresh lemon and ginger in the moning. My preferred cups have no handles and are linked to a trip or adventure. My favourites are from Copenhagen . I am mad keen on how to help my senses do their jobs and perfume and drinks for me are often connected.
Hope to see you very soon in Edinburgh.

Hi Jo,
Thanks for commenting! I totally agree with the aroma being a major factor. I can’t cope with floral teas because I don’t associate the scent of flowers with tea. I’m sorry you suffer from migraines but I don’t think you can drink anything better in the morning than hot water with ginger and lemon. I’m trying white tea at the moment but struggling with it.
I love that your cups are linked to good times and places. I do that a little too. I have a couple from art exhibitions by favourite artists.
Really looking forward to meeting up with you in Edinburgh next time.

Hi Tara,
I am a massive loose tea fan – in fact this is all I drink now! Loose tea is better than bagged tea as the leaves are picked from top of tree and the separation process is much longer hence more expensive – bagged tea is blended with other teas and other things (escapes me exactly what I’ll have to google it). T2 is a great shop for tea choice of a high quality surprisingly it began in New Zealand and now has outlets in U.K. … over 223 different varieties!!! For breaks fast tea I go with good old classic English breakfast loose tea from twining but Irish morning tea is also a good option. My favourite by far I e ever drank is rhubarb and custard loose tea! Hope this is of interest! Han xxx

Your comment is very helpful, Hannah!
I had no idea bagged tea is blended with other ingredients. Another reason to drink more loose leaf. Irish tea and Rhubarb and Custard tea are also new to me. I will check out T2 which sounds fabulous. Many thanks xxx

I have never heard about Tealyra thank you for this sharing. I only drink loose tea and I love black and Rooibos. My partner is more green and Oolong tea so at home we have a lot of different. Most of the time I buy my tea in Whittard of Chelsea because I have a shop close to my place. I have also recently discovered Tea from the Manor, they have nice teas but less choice.

Loved this read…My favourite loose leave teas have to be Rooibos blends like with (orange peel, cinnamon, almond…you get the idea) but thats because we are in the colder months here in Spain so a nice warm cup of goodness just heats me up these chilly days. Good luck with your loose tea leave search you will do fine!

Can’t wait to read more of your tea reviews to see if we have a similar taste palette. If you need any ideas on new teas feel free to check out my reviews as well since you seem like a #teaaddict just like ME 🙂

I’ve seen pictures of the snow in Spain, Doris, so can imagine you need a warming drink right now! I will try rooibos with orange next time – sounds like something I might enjoy.
Thanks for the link to your blog. I’m enjoying this exploration and am eager to learn more. I have a post on scented teas next Wednesday.

Hey Tara… I can’t wait to see it! You should SOOO try the Rooibos mix. In a lot of places they call this mix like a Rooibos Pakistani with (orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon and a few other gems) let me know if you try it and what you think. Or better yet a review lol DUH!! I too have a review coming of a Rooibos pretty similar to this one on Weds as well should we swap reads on each others page. I am so excited to see your journey. hugs and kisses from Pamplona

In Taiwan we went to Wistaria tea house to drink locally grown tea as part of a proper ceremony. The whole ritual was so relaxing, and the tea was absolutely beautiful. I feel like there needs to be tea houses like that everywhere, so people can just lose themselves in tea to unwind!

I came a cross a brand of tea, two years ago, called Art of Tea. Once I tasted it, I was hooked! I now sell this tea in my shop along with infusers and teapots.
Art of Tea has some wonderful YouTube videos on flavors of tea, steeping times and where he sources the tea from.
Owner Steve Schwartz believes in hand blending in small portions so every order is fresh. Every tea that I’ve tried is very tasty, from white tea, green tea, rooibus, pu-erh, oolong, black and herbal.